Northrop Grumman airborne network demonstrates tactical potential at Army integration exercise

The Battlefield Airborne Communications Node (BACN), developed by Northrop Grumman Corporation, demonstrated its tactical airborne networking potential during the U.S. Army's Network Integration Evaluation (NIE) 12.1 at White Sands Missile Range, N.M., and Fort Bliss, Texas. BACN now flies aboard a number of US Air Force platforms, integrating a variety of communications systems deployed in support of U.S. and coalition forces in Afghanistan. At NIE, the Army is investigating whether Army controlled air assets equipped with the BACN capability could fill specific command, control and communications gaps. BACN provided a way to integrate and cross-band these new waveforms with legacy tactical data links and radios -- including Single Channel Ground and Airborne Radio System, Land Mobile Radio, Enhanced Position Location Reporting System, Situational Awareness Data Link and Link-16 -- using a single, common-management capability.